Becoming evil makes you ten times stronger, but becoming a demon gives you hundredfold strength-Chapter 322 - 288 Lurking in the Abyss

Sleepless City.

As one of the largest cities in the northwest region, even the enormous losses suffered by the Eternal Night Palace did not affect the prosperity here.

Meng Yu’s figure appeared in an alley of the Sleepless City.

It was a very secluded alley with not a single person inside.

After leaving the alley, Meng Yu, who had changed his appearance, arrived on the bustling main streets.

This time Meng Yu chose Sleepless City because it was a Third-Grade Minor World where Nascent Souls could hardly exert their power. Three hundred Golden Cores in this city, forming a Sword Array, were invincible. At the very least, they could dominate this Third-Grade Minor World and defeat all enemies. The downside was that Meng Yu had spent too little time in this city, so he had no foundation whatsoever.

The Moon-Watching Sect’s branch was only a small organization; the retreat was abrupt, and the escape routes and safe houses left behind were, Meng Yu feared, unsafe to use. He and Hua Miaochai had only strolled in the city for a day before they were cornered and did not stay any longer.

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The city was so big, I want a home.

The Sleepless City was as bustling as usual with cultivators coming and going, Flying Boats shuttling back and forth in the sky, and colorful shop signs everywhere, with all sorts of accommodations available.

Staying at an inn?

Meng Yu shook his head.

Too many people, too much chatter, and who knows what sort of mechanisms were inside.

His identity was very special at the moment; he needed to quickly find a hiding place—not because he feared the various powers in the Sleepless City, but because he was always carrying three hundred Golden Cores, which put a lot of psychological pressure on him.

It’s like carrying a lottery ticket for the top prize to cash in; you definitely wouldn’t stop for an extra bowl of noodles on the way.

The Eternal Night Palace, which controlled the Sleepless City, had influence seeping into every aspect, so Meng Yu did not want to cause any trouble in the upcoming month and decided to go through legitimate channels.

Looking up, there was a Trading Company not far away, also dealing in real estate. Without saying much, Meng Yu walked straight in.

Now, Meng Yu’s appearance was that of a middle-aged man, plain but with a touch of scholarly air, and his identity was a Loose Cultivator at the Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment—not high, not low, enough to not pose a threat to the Eternal Night Palace and to keep some trouble away from him personally.

Cao Defang, a Loose Cultivator from the northwest region, had a good reputation and excellent Swordsmanship, but in reality, he was a ruthless individual.

When Meng Yu was on his way, he encountered him having drugged his companion and then committed robbery and murder, so Meng Yu subdued him. Seeing that his cultivation and martial skills were decent and something Meng Yu could make use of, he performed a Soul Search with Mirror Twelve and obtained various pieces of intelligence from him.

Now, Meng Yu had assumed this identity. If someone were to check, Meng Yu could also produce an impressive performance of the Liuyun Thirteen Swords.

The shop was somewhat deserted. Meng Yu, though somewhat in a hurry, did not rush to inquire but looked around first.

Property sales in Sleepless City were hot, but this heat referred to the Qi Refinement Practitioners’ residences. As for Foundation Establishment caves, there weren’t many options.

Building a Foundation Establishment cave was no simple matter; it needed a Spirit Vein, a Spiritual Spring, and Formations. Most people who moved in would live there permanently, and when the original owner died, the descendants would inherit. Few were willing to sell, so Meng Yu prepared to see if there were no Foundation Establishment caves available. He’d just buy a larger one suited for Qi Refinement Practitioners.

"Buying a house, do you have any Foundation Establishment caves?"

After looking around, Meng Yu asked clearly.

This time, the three hundred Golden Cores at least needed to stay in Sleepless City for a month. Renting a cave was absolutely not an option, and finding an unoccupied environment was also bad. It would be best to buy a cave and settle down.

"Ah, dear guest, what kind of cave are you looking for? We do have Foundation Establishment caves here!"

The receptionist was very enthusiastic.

Meng Yu was momentarily stunned.

The last time he and Hua Miaochai strolled down the road, passing by here, although the time was short, he had also heard a conversation.

"Gone, that cave has been sold."

"I told you, you have no idea how many caves in Sleepless City have people in line."

"Good caves, who would be willing to sell them? You just wait."

That was an argument between a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a realtor, where the realtor seemed all cocky. Why had the attitude changed so much now?

"What happened? Have property prices in Sleepless City actually fallen?"

Just then, Meng Yu heard the sound of mourning music from afar and remembered the many white cloths, wreaths, and mourning attire he had seen upon entering the city.

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Ah, Meng Yu understood — too many deaths, property prices dropped.

Mirror Twelve, you are the cause of this misery. How many Foundation Establishments did you kill, making so many families homeless?

"As long as the price is appropriate, I don’t have too many requirements, just a larger area. I need to practice martial training and manage Flying Swords, preferably a Foundation Establishment cave."

Behind Meng Yu hung a four-foot-long sword.

"Sure, sir, please take a look at these properties."

The clerk brought out several scrolls for Meng Yu to peruse. He flipped through them quickly, shook his head, asked for a few more, and casually pointed at one.

It was a cave dwelling located in the middle of Sleepless City, covering an area of ten acres, complete with a protective formation, and even came with ten serving maids—these commoners were easy to provide for.

"I won’t need the serving maids. I have some companions who can help out. When can I move in?"

"Mr. Cao, actually, we have even better properties available, like this one."

The clerk glanced at Meng Yu and suddenly said in a low voice, "It’s really a coincidence. The two cave dwellings are neighbors, but this one is a bit better. Since the owner is eager to sell, the price could be more suitable for you. You might consider buying this one."

He gestured to someone not far away in the lobby, and a person rushed over promptly—Meng Yu had noticed this widow wearing a white flower when he entered, pretty and petite.

Her hair was done up in a coiled dragon bun, and her clothes were also styled for a woman.

Hmm, using ’widow’ isn’t really appropriate. She’s only a seventeen-year-old girl, not only beautiful but also tall and graceful, so stunning it’s hard to look straight at her. She has a scholarly demeanor about her, clearly from a reputable family. Most importantly, she’s still a virgin?

"This is Mrs. Qin from the Qin family. She’s in a rush to sell her property, and the price is right. If you’re interested..."

Meng Yu looked at the pretty widow with a bit of surprise but shook his head.

"A loss is a gain. I’m here to buy a house, not to take advantage. I don’t know if her house is good or bad, but just after her husband has died, buying her house would feel like taking advantage. I’m not interested in that kind of deal."

Meng Yu’s words left the clerk with a sigh. Mrs. Qin was a nice person; he had done what he could to help, but since the customer wasn’t interested, he let it be.

It made sense, after all. When you travel through jianghu, don’t take the easy gains. Although this man spent a little more money, his conduct couldn’t be faulted. Mrs. Qin’s husband was from the Eternal Night Palace; he died in battle, and not even his body was found. If someone took over the cave dwelling, they might face unexpected issues.

"Alright, sir. If you want to move in quickly, just pay a ten percent deposit, and you can view the house and move in today. If there are no issues upon inspection, pay thirty percent within seven days, with the remainder due within a month. How does that sound?"

"Could I have a bit more time? Could I pay thirty percent within half a month and the rest within three months?"

Despite the clerk’s generous terms, Meng Yu couldn’t afford to be too cavalier at this moment. After a bit of bargaining, Meng Yu got the cave dwelling as he wished.

It was the pretty widow who timidly followed Meng Yu. When he inspected the property and looked around the cave dwelling, she followed suit.

"Is there something you need?"

"Sir, now that you’ve bought the cave dwelling, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and learn many things. I can help you with that, assist in cleaning the dwelling, and also provide some information."

Mrs. Qin spoke timidly.

Meng Yu blinked, then blinked again, looking at the pretty widow who was actually just a seventeen-year-old girl.

Then, thinking about his journey here, with every household in mourning, each wearing a white flower, scenes of women crying and wailing, he seemed to understand something.

It seemed that the Eternal Night Palace had lost too many people, and the sky had fallen, leaving many in search of a way out.

Or rather, striving to survive.

...

The newly bought cave dwelling spanned a full ten acres, enveloped in a simple shielding formation. It was fully equipped, including a second-order spiritual vein, a spirit well, and a triple entry courtyard. It was many times better than the accommodations Meng Yu had had at the Enforcement Hall.

Mrs. Qin, along with a few serving maids, was tidying up the rooms, while the real estate broker explained Mrs. Qin’s situation to Meng Yu.

Qin Ningxue was a well-known talented woman from a minor world, and her husband was a Foundation Establishment Master who guarded the minor world, a man of renown. The marriage of the famous talent to an immortal was undeniably a good thing.

As such, she was to become the third concubine of the Guardian Master.

Although she was to be a concubine and not the chief wife, even with her proud and arrogant nature and her extraordinary talents in the minor world, she could not refuse this. Therefore, she came to the Upper Realm, established the relationship, paid her respects to the chief wife with tea, and was just short of consummating the marriage.

But before that could happen, along came Meng Yu, and her husband, along with the chief wife, was called away to join the Cultivator Legion, disappearing in that operation.

With the two main pillars of the family gone, the husband’s other concubine not only took all the spirit stones but also racked up a huge debt and absconded, leaving only a seventeen-year-old girl to support the home.

"Why does she need to sell the house?"

Meng Yu was stunned for a moment.

"The second wife, Xiao Yu, took away the prepayment and ran off with a lot of debt. Now, creditors are blocking her home. If it was one creditor, it would be manageable, but with many, the house can’t even be split between them. She needs to sell it quickly to pay off the debts, or the interest will bury her. Not to mention, what if the husband’s family comes and makes trouble, or seeks to ruin her completely?"

Alright, Meng Yu had to admit there was logic in that.

"Why is she so shy? Isn’t she a woman of status and talent? Why doesn’t she seem composed at all?"

"A woman of talent? They’re a dime a dozen and can be slapped to death. If she were composed, proud, and domineering, she would have been slapped to death long ago."